Work-ejecting mechanism for printing apparatus



July 16, 1929. HULT 1,721,022

WORK EJECTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING APPARATUS Filed March 3, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Ties- 1 J. A. HULT July 16, 1929.

WORK EJEC'IING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 5, 1928 ft No: am my:

July 16, 1929. A, HULT WORK EJECTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING APPARATUS gmm m 4 M m hzwg 9 a m & 4 5 4 J QY FE er" 4 Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. HULT, or CLEVELAND, onio, ASSIGNOR To 'rnnmnnrcnu nonmemirn SALES COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, A conronn'non or 01110.

wonx-nzinc'rme MECHANISM non rnm'rme nrrnnnrus.

Application filed March 3,

This invention relates to mechanism for automaticallydischarging a printed product following the impression stroke. The in vention is well adapted for embodiment in an addressing machine employing individual address plates and a manually operable platen.

My invention is of the same generic typev of that shown in an application of Clifton Chisholm, Serial No. 258,770 filed contemporaneously herewith, with claims dominating the present application. Both cases have mechanism carried by the platen arm and serving to engage the paper on the printing stroke of such arm and remaining in engagement during a portion of the reverse stroke and during the latter period having a movement to eject the printed work.

.One of the objects of my invention is to simplify the mechanism as much as practicable without interfering with the effectiveness of the operation. The means by which I accomplish this is hereinafter more fully explained in connection with the drawings, and the essential novel features are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan of an addressing machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse'section of the same, as indicated by the line 2-2 on Fig. 1,

this view showing the platen arm in its normal or standing position; Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the platen arm and the mechanism which it carries, in printing position, this view being a vertical section on the line 3--3 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a' sectional front elevation of the ejecting mechanismitself; Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the mechanism of Fig. 4 as indicated by the line 5-5 on Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating the anchorage of the operating cord of the ejector, being a vertical section as indicated by the line 6-6 on Fig. 4.

I In the embodiment shown in the draw- 5 ings, 10 indicates the bed or frame of a fiatbed addressing machine. Extending transversely across this frame is a channel 11 along which the address plate may travel from a magazine 12 to printing position, after which -it is discharged at the left hand side of the machine.

A manually operated impression arm 20 is shown in the drawings as pivoted to the as passing through the plungers.

1928; Serial no. 258,781.

bed at 21 adjacent the rear end of the arm,

printing, .by means of a plate directly below.

the platen 30, the slide 28 is carried toward .the right so that the bottom-most address plate .14, Figs. 1 and 2, may drop from the magazine 12onto the slide in front of a shoulder thereon; then as the platen moves upwardly, the linkage mechanism described moves the slide toward the left carrying the bottom-most plate from the magazine into position immediately at the left thereof. The same movement carries the plate which has ]l1St been printed from by the platen into a receptacle 29 at the extreme left of the machine, and at the same time carries an intermediate plate which was standing at the left of the magazine into printing position beneath the platen.

As usual with addressing machines of the type so far described, the envelope or card to be addressed is placed by hand beneath the platen while it is elevated, such card or envelope being positioned, if desired, by

engaging one or both of the guides 15 and 16 shown-in Fig. 1. The mechanism of the present invention acts automatically following the printing to eject the card or envelope toward the front. This mechanism will now be described.

As shownin the drawing, I have secured to the top of the platen arm, a stationary bracket shown as a plate-like member having a horizontal portion 41 secured to the arm and an upright open frame portion 42 having upper and lower cross portions 43 and 44. Slidably mounted in each of these cross portions are a pair of parallel, approximately upright, rods 50. These rods are connected by a cross bar 52, shown The two rods are pressed downward by helical springs 54 surrounding them and compressed between the frame bar 43 and the cross rod 52. Suitable pins 55 extending through the upper portions of the rods limit their downward movement. At their lower ends these rods are formed into bearings 57 in which is journalled a shaft 60.

The shaft 60 has secured to its opposite ends rubber-tired wheels 62. Between the rods 50, I pin to the shaft (50 a pair of collars (i5 and (i6 and between these collars I journal on the shaft a pulley (37. The collar has ratchet teeth about it, as shown in Fig. 5, and the pulley (57 carriesa pawl (38 pressed by a spring (59 into engagement with the ratchet teeth.

Mounted on the shaft 52 is a pulley7t). I have shown the pulley attached to the shaft and the shaft journalled in the rods 50, although, if desired, the pulley might rotate on the shaft. 80 in each of the ligures indicatesa cord, wire or other flexible member which is anchored at 85 to the bracket 40, thence passes upwardly over the pulley 70, thence downwardly in the reach 81 beneath and around the pulley 67,.

to which it is anchored at 86 (Fig. 6), thence upwardly in the reach 82, the upper end being finally anchored to the top portion 48 of the frame as shown at 87.

\Vhen the platen arm is lowered to effect l igs. 3 and 4) before the platen 30 engages the paper. Then as the downward move.- ment of the arm 20 continues, the rods 50 are shoved upwardly through the frame 40. This movement raises the pulley 70 and pulls upwardly on the reach 81 of the cord, which rotates the pulley (37 in the direction to carry the pawl 68 idly around over the ratchet teeth 65. Thus, when the platen 30 comes into printing, co-acting with the envelope over the address plate A, as shown in Fig. 3, the floating frame (i. e. the rods 50, shafts 52 and carrying the two rollers 62 rises relative to the platen arm to the limit of the movement of the frame, as indicated by the compressed springs 54 in Fig. 3. There is however, no rotation of the rollers 62, and hence no disturbance of the envelope.

Now, on the upstroke of the platen arm 20, the springs 54 maintain the rollers 62 in engagement with the envelope for the first portion of such stroke, the springs 54 extending and the frame 40 rising on the substantially stationary rods 50. In this movement the two anchorages 85 and 87 of the cord.- 80 rise, while the axes of the two pulleys 70 and 67 remain stationary. Accordingly, the reach 81 of the cord slackens and the reach 82 pulls, with the result that the pulley 67 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in Figs. 3 and 5. In this movement, the' pawl 68 in engagement with the ratchet turns the shaft 60, and hence, the two rubber-tired wheels (32 in the di rection to feed the envelope forwardly out of the machine, and this result is accomplished before the wheels 2 are bodily lifted.

It will be seen that my' ejecting mechanism is very simple in construction and is self-contained, so that it may be readily attached as a unit to impression arms ofexisting addressing machines. The ejecting rollers remain in contact with the addressed envelope for a sufficient time, nd have a sufiicient rotative movement, to effectively discharge the envelope early in the upstroke of the. platen arm. V

I elaim:.

1. The combination with a reciprocating printing member, of a paper ejecting device carried thereby and comprising a wheel adapted to be brought by the printing stroke into engagement with the paper, and means for rotating said wheel following the print ing impression to discharge the paper.

2. The combination with a reciprocating impression arm and a platen carried thereby, of a rotatable wheel carried by the platen arm in such manner as to be movable thereby into engagement with the paper, and mechanism for automatically rotating said wheel in contact with the paper after the platen has cleared the paper.

3. The combination with an impression arm and a platen carried thereby, of a wheel carried by the platen arm in such manner as to be bodily shiftable as well as rotatable thereon and mechanism actuated by the movement of the platen arm away from the paper'for rotating said wheel in contact with the paper after the platen has cleared the paper.

4. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a floating frame carried by the arm, a rotatable wheel mounted on the frame, a spring intending to press said frame toward the plane of the paper, and means whereby the movement of the platen arm away from the paper causes rotation of the Wheel in a direction to discharge the paper. 2

5. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a bracket carried by the arm, a floating frame slidably mounted in the bracket and spring pressed toward the plane of the paper, a shaft mounted in said floating, frame, a pair of wheels on said shaft, and mechanism for rotating the shaft as the impression arm rises from the printing position.

6. The comblnationof an lmpression member, a platen carried thereby, a floating frame slidably mounted on the impression arm and spring pressed toward the plane of the paper, a member adapted to engage the paper and mounted on the floating frame adto the floating frame causes rotation of said.

paper engaging member in a direction to discharge the paper. o

7. The combination of a pivoted impression arm, a "platen carried thereby, a pair of rods slidably mounted in an approximately upright direction in the impression arm, a shaft mounted in said rods, a wheel on said shaft, springs acting on-the rods to force the wheel against the paper as the platenis coming into print-ing position, and means causing a rotation of the wheel forwardly to eject the paper as the platen recedes from printing position. 1

8. The combination of a impression member, a platen carried thereby, a paper engaging wheel carried by said member and a ratchet drive for said wheel controlled by movement of the impression member and arranged to cause rotation of the wheel when the impression arm rises.

9. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a floating frame carried by the impression arm, a paper engaging wheel mounted in the frame to turn on an axis, and a ratchet drive for said wheel controlled by relative movement between the impression arm and the floating frame and arranged to cause rotation of the wheel when the impression arm rises.

10. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a slidable "frame mounted in the arm, a spring pressing said frame toward the plane of the paper, a roller carried by said frame and adapted to engage the face of the paper, a ratchet wheel and pawl for turni-n said roller, and an operating connection from such ratchet mechanism causing the wheel to rotate when the platen rises.

1-1. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a paper engaging wheel carried by the impression arm, a pulley for turning said wheel and a flexible member embracing the pulley and connected in such manner that it turns the pulley to drive the wheel when the platen arm. rises.

12. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a slidable frame carried by the impression arm, a paper engaging wheel carried by the frame, a pulley for turning said wheel, and a flexibloc member embracing the pulley and connected in such manner that it turns the pulley to drive the wheel when the platen arm rises relative to the frame. I

13. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a sliding frame carried by vthe impression arm, a paper engaging roller rotatively mounted in the frame, a pulley connected with said roller, another pulley on the frame, and a flexible member anchored at its ends to the impression arm and passing over one pulley and under the other.

14. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a frame slidably mounted in the impression arm, a paper engaging roller rotatively mounted in the frame, a driving pulley connected with 'said roller, another pulley carried by the slidable frame, and a cable anchored to the impression member and then passing over the secondvpulley and downwardly beneath the first pulley and upwardly and again anchored to the impression arm.

15. The combination of an impression member, a platen carried thereby, a frame slidably mounted on the impression memher, a paper engaging wheel rotatively mounted in the'frame, a driving pulley connected with said wheel, another pulley carried by the slidable frame, a flexible member anchored to the impression member and then passing over the second pulley and downwardly beneath the first pulley and upwardly and again anchored to the impression member, and a-ratchet connection between the first pulley and the paper-en gaging wheel.

16. The combination of an impression arm, a platen carried thereby, a slidable frame carried by the arm and spring pressed toward the plane of the paper, a paper engaging wheel rotatably mounted in the lower end of the frame, a pulley rotatably mounted in the lower end of the frame, a pulley rotatably mounted in said frame and having a ratchet connection with said wheel, a second pulley mounted in the frame, and a cable anchored at one end to the impression arm and passing thence about the second pulley, thence about the first pulley and having its other end anchored to the frame, whereby movement of the impression arm relative to the sliding frame rotates the first mentioned pulley, the ratchet connection between such pulley and said Wheel being in the direction to rotate the wheel as the impression arm rises following the printing stroke.

17. The combination with a bed, a pivoted impression arm'carrying a platen, a bracket carried by the impression arm, a pair of rods slidably mounted in the bracket, springs pressing said rods downwardly longitudinally thereof, a shaft carried by said rods near their lower end, wheels on said shaft adapted to engage the face of paper to be acted on by the platen, a pulley having a ratchet connection with said shaft, and means for rotating said pulley conse-' uent upon relative movement between the impression arm and slidable rods.

'18. The combination of a pivoted impression arm carrying a platen, a bracket carried by the impression arm, a pair of rods slidably mounted in the bracket, springs pressing said rods downwardly longitudinally thereof, a shaft carried by said rods near their lower end, wheels on said shaft adapted to engage the face of paper to be acted on by the platen, a pulley having a ratchet connection with said shaft, :1 second pulley carried by said rods, and a flexible driving member anchored at one end to the impression arm passing thence upwardly over the second pulley and thence downwardly about the underside of the first pul ley, thence upwardly and finally anchored to the bracket on the impression arm.

19. The combination with a printing mechanism, of a bodily movable paper ejecting device comprising a pair of wheels with elastic tires, means for bringing them into engagement with the paper preced ng the impression for maintalnlng them 1n such passing thence about the second pulley,

thence about the first pulley and having its other end anchored, whereby movement of the points of anchorage relative to the said frame may rotate the first mentioned pulley and thereby rotate the paper engaging wheel through the .ratchet connection.

In testimony whereoi I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN A. HULT. 

